There are hopes that the experience of Micronesia may help American Samoa authorities understand the reluctance of some villages to sign up to 'no-take' fisheries agreements or management plans.
The Micronesia Challenge is a joint effort by the Micronesian islands to protect and preserve their oceans and marine resources from over fishing, pollution and other natural and human threats.
A group form the Micronesian states is in American Samoa for a learning exchange with the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources.
The deputy director of the Nature Conservancy Micronesia Program, Palau's Victor Steven, says modern pressures on the reef are far greater than in the past and conservation is vital.
"In these days when population has increased many times [above] the sustainable level it can and then you introduce a lot more sources of stress to the reef. The reef is very stressed so therefore we need to reduce our fishing pressure."
Victor Steven.
